Bandage.



No. 725,688. 7 PATENTED APR. 21, 1903. E. L. EWING.

BANDAGE.

APPLICATION FILED 00131, 1902.

0 MODEL.

UNITED v STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

ELIZABETH LANE EWING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BANDAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 725,688, dated April 21, 1903. I

Application filed October 31,1902. Serial No. 129,555. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bandages; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification;

My invention relates to improvements in bandages, and more particularly a bandage of a novel structure and function adapted to reduce and prevent undue accumulation of adipose tissue upon the parts of the body to which it may be applied.

It is a well-known fact that many persons, more particularly women of middle age, are troubled by undue and sometimes unhealthy accumulation of fat upon certain parts of the body. This affection (polysarcia) most frequently manifests itself upon the abdomen and hips, although other parts of the body may be similarly affected. to dispersing and preventing such undesirable development that my invention is designed; and to this end it consists in the features of adaptive arrangement and construction hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a bandage adapted for application to the abdomen and hips, and in such drawings, Figure 1 represents the front or exterior side of a bandage extended to its full length. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the rear side of the bandage. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a slightly different application of my invention. Fig. dis a fragmentary detail of a portion of a bandage constructed in accordance with my invention, illustrating the preferred construction thereof when used as an abdominal bandage. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

In all the figures like numerals of reference refer to like parts.

The construction of my bandage comprises, essentially, two partsa flexible lining-surface, impervious to air and moisture, and a flexible non-elastic backing, of fabric or the like, constituting its support.

1 represents as a whole the non-elastic fabric backing, shaped to conform with the abdo- It is with a view.

men or other part of the body when in position, and 2 represents the impervious lining, preferably formed of a web-of thin rubbersuch, for instance, as that employed by dentists. The lining 1 is preferably composed of two sheets of drilling 3 and 4, united at their edges with each other and with the rubber lining 2 by a suitable edging 5. The rubber lining-2 is so secured to the non-elastic backing that it is unstretched or under normal tension when the bandage is in position upon the wearer and therefore exerts no compressing action independently of its associated backing. p

6 6 indicate flexible stiffening strips or stays, of whalebone or other suitable material, Vertically disposed and adapted to prevent the bandage from wrinkling and to give it its proper set.

7 7 are lateral reinforcing-strips, preferably of fabric, extending across the median portion of the front of the bandage to minimize the possibility of the fabric stretching under the tension to which it is subjected when in use. The reinforcing means described might be variously arranged, but I have found that it is advantageous to employ a relatively wide vertically-disposed central stiifened area 8 and narrower stiffened portions 9 and 10 at the portions of the bandage adapted to fit over the hips and to connect the vertical reinforcements 8 and 9by the lateral reinforcements 7.

11 11 represent the stiffened ends of the bandage, each provided with a series of eyelet-holes 12 12, arranged to receive a lacingcord (not shown) which holds the bandage under tension.

13 is a flap or extension secured to one end of the bandage and adapted when in position to extend to the opposite edge of the bandage to protect the body of the wearer from the lacing-cord.

ll 14 are pin-clipssecuredto straps depending from the ends of the bandage, and 15 is a pendent flap or tab forming a median front extension of the bandage and adapted, together with the clips 14, to afford means for the attachment of a suitable removable band age or the like. (Not herein shown.)

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated my bandage as 1 having coextensive backing and lining portions 1 and 2'. Such a structure is necessary where it is desired to reduce both the hips and abdomen; but where it is desired to atfeet only a portion of the body covered ,by the bandage-as,for instance, the hips alonea construction such as that illustrated in Fig. 3 may be employed. In such figures the rubber-lining portions are shown as extended over only a part of the surfacecovered by the bandage, the intermediate portions being left unlined, as clearly illustrated.

\Vhile I have shown and for purposes of clear functional distinction have described the backing and lining of my bandage as separate parts united only at the edges, it will be apparent that they might be attached to each other at all points.

The bandage is adapted to be worn at any time and when applied is placed with the rubber lining next to the skin and is laced as tight as may be without inconveniencing the wearer. The non-elastic backing now su pports the parts covered thereby and holds the rubber lining tightly to the skin, while preventing the movements of the wearer from stretching the rubber, which constantly remains under normal tension.

The efficacy of a bandage made in accordance with my invention is attributed to the twofold action of a mechanical compression of the parts under treatment, due to the unyielding tension under which they are constantly maintained by the non-elastic structure and to the efiect of the impervious lining upon the body. The lining excluding the air and retaining the moisture of the body against evaporation beats and exercises a mild drawing eifect upon the parts covered thereby, which it is believed serves to excite and increase the activity of the subcutaneous .capillary systems to cause the superfluous fatto be absorbed within the body in a healthy and natural manner. This synergistic action, together with the mechanical compression of the tissue by the bandage, as indicated, is believed to be the cause of the reduction of the parts treated. WVhile the action of the bandage, however, is largely a matter of conjecture, experience has demonstrated as a fact that the result sought is actually accomplished without apparently injuriously affecting the wearer. Further, it will be seen that the bandage operates under all conditions to sustain and support the abdomen of the wearer and has the beneficial efiects of relief from fatigue, &c., attendant upon the use of such devices.

While Ihave for clearness of disclosure described and illustrated in detail one specific form of my invention in itself n0vel,I do not desire to limit my invention in its broadest aspect to the specific embodiment shown, as it is apparent that bandages difiering widely in contour and details of construction from that illustrated might be employed without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. An adipose-reducing bandage comprising a non-elastic backing adapted when in place to snugly fit over a part of the body, and an impervious lining supported and completely covered by said backing arranged to conform therewith and with the part of the body covered by the lining when under normal tension, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In an adipose-reducing bandage a nonelastic backing of fabric, shaped to conform to the contour of thebody when in place, and a lining of rubber secured to said backing and arranged to conform to said backing and the body while in unstretched condition, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In an adipose-reducing abdominal bandage, a backing of fabric shaped to conform to the contour of the body, vertical flexible reinforcements secured thereto at intervals, transverse reinforcing-strips uniting said vertical reinforcements, and a lining of unstretched rubber coextensive with the backing fabric and conforming thereto, whereby when the bandage is in position, the parts covered thereby may be put under unyield- ELIZABETH LANE EWVING.

In presence of -FOREE BAIN,

MARY F. ALLEN. 

